Table 1.

FGDs and KII guides used for various stakeholders on the TBAs and their role after reorientation as births companions

Type of interview	Key questions
FGD with TBAs	1. How do you begin to assist a pregnant woman? Can you describe to me the type of advice and help you give to pregnant women? (As TBA, the facility ANC visits) 2. Are some pregnancies more dangerous than others? And how does one know? 3. How do women choose to where to deliver? Do you ever accompany your client to hospital for delivery is she chooses to deliver in hospital or in case of emergency? 4. What is your experience with working with pregnant women who delivery in facilities? What is the means of transport and who pays for this? 5. How would you describe a facility‐based birth? How do you support women after delivery? What is the main kind of advice and support mothers need right after birth? 6. In case of a complication, where and how to you refer a client to a health facility? 7. What do people in the community say about the support you provide to pregnant women? 8. What is your relationship with the community leaders, community members, and CHW's and health providers?
FGD with CHV	1. What is your role as a CHV in the community with regard to pregnant women? 2. What do you tell a pregnant woman about the facility delivery and ANC visits? Are you paid for the delivery, and if so what is the amount or is it in kind? What do families give you in exchange for helping with the pregnancy and delivery? 3. What do you tell women about diet? 4. How do you describe danger signs of pregnancy? 5. How do you support women after delivery? What advice do you give on need to attend postnatal care at facility? 6. What do people in the community say about the support you provide to pregnant women? 7. In case of a complication, where and how to you refer a pregnant woman to a health facility? 8. What is your relationship with the community leaders, TBAs and health providers, and the community members? 9. What do people in the community say about the support you provide to pregnant women? 10. Do you ever accompany a pregnant woman to a hospital for delivery is she chooses to deliver in hospital or in case of emergency? 11. What are some of the reasons women have to be referred to a facility? 12. What is the referral mechanism in the community and who finances this? Have you seen cases where someone does not have the money to pay?
FGD with pregnant women and mothers with children 0–11 months	1. Tell me about your experience seeking care during your pregnancy. Who did you get care from? Do you think you received adequate care from TBA, birth companion, and health facility provider? 2. What do you think about ANC or what have you heard about it? Why do people go, are there others who do not go, why? What kind of advice did you get during an ANC visit? (nutrition during pregnancy probe types of food to eat, danger signs of pregnancy, and delivery) How does this advice compare to what your grandmothers or family members tell you? 3. How long does it take you to arrive at the facility and how much does it cost? 4. Why do some pregnant women go the health facility for antenatal care while other pregnant women do not seek any care at the health facility? Tell me about the type of women who delivers at the health facility? Tell me about the type of women who delivers at home? 5. Where did you deliver your baby and what was the outcome? Tell me about your experience? How did you decide to have your delivery this way? Would you recommend this to your neighbour or sister also? What would you do next time? 6. What type of advice did you receive advise on need to attend postnatal care at facility? How often do you think a woman should go to PNC? Are there any challenges in going? 7. Have you ever had a complication during any pregnancy or delivery? What did you do? In case of a complication for any women during labour, how are they taken to a health facility? What are the challenges? 8. What are some of the reasons women have to be referred to a facility? What is the referral mechanism in the community and who finances this? 9. Do you know of any woman or have heard of a woman who died during her pregnancy or after delivery? Why did it happen? 10. When would you recommend a woman to go to a TBA? CHV? Health facility staff for advice or for delivery?
FGDs with husbands and fathers	1. In your wife's last pregnancy, where did she attend ANC, when did she start ANC, and how many times did she attend? How long did it take for her to reach the facility and how much does it cost? 2. Where did your wife deliver your baby? What was your experience and impression of the care provided? (home with TBA or facility) 3. What was the reason for your wife's place of choice of delivery and what is your overall satisfaction about the delivery process wherever it occurred? 4. In the community if a woman has a problem during pregnancy or labour what happens? If a woman is taken to a facility—how long does it take to reach it and how much does it cost? How does someone find transportation for the woman and notify the health facility? 5. What costs are involved in a complicated pregnancy? What is the referral mechanism? 6. Do you know of any mother who died during her pregnancy or after delivery? If so what did she die from? What, in your opinion, could have been done to avoid this death? 7. When should a woman attend a TBAs, CHWs, and health providers? Do you know the ones in this community and do you know what they do? 8. What type of support should a husband provide? (prompts—assistance with work so she gets enough rest, paying money for transport to go the health facility for ANC or delivery, buying medicines, buying food advised in the clinic, and accompanying her for ANC and delivery)
FGD community leaders	1. What do you think of the role of TBAs? CHWs? Health facility staff? Husbands? Grandmothers? 2. What is your relationship with the community, TBAs, CHWs, health providers, pregnant women, and husbands of pregnant women? 3. How common is it for pregnant women deliver with the TBA vs. at the facility? 4. How do families decide where a woman will delivery? Who helps to make the decision? What are some of the reasons for them delivering at their place of choice (probe especially for home/TBA delivery)? 5. Have you ever been involved, in case of a complication with pregnant women in with assisting with the referral to a health facility? 6. What do you think is the ideal role for a CHW and TBA? 7. Would you like to see CHWs and TBA perform any other tasks 8. What is your role in supporting pregnancies in the community?(Probe for transport, counselling, provision of services, and referral system) 9. Would you take on a role for encouraging the community to use health facilities for delivery? Why?
KII for frontline health facility worker	1. What role do you play in this facility, especially relating to pregnant mothers? 2. What ANC services/ facilities do you provide here? What is your role in providing post‐partum care? 3. How and when do pregnant women first approach you for support and advice? 4. What do you tell them on the importance of delivering at the health facility? 5. What do you do in case of an emergency? If referral, do you accompany your clients to the referral hospital in such an emergency? What are the costs? 6. How would you describe your relationship as a health facility staff with this community? How do you relate with the TBAs, CHVs? 7. What is your role in the supervision of the TBAs/CHVs? 8. What do you envision would be the role of TBAs, CHVs? 9. How do you feel about TBAs accompanying the client to the hospital during labour? 10. What do you think can be done to encourage more women to deliver at the health facilities?